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Pakistan's counter to Dhurandhar? Makers of 'Mera Lyari' clear the air
As Dhurandhar places Lyari on the international stage through one lens, the makers of Mera Lyari are preparing a very different story: one told from within
- PUBLISHED: Thu 30 Apr 2026, 1:24 PM
Ayesha Omar has spent decades in front of audiences who feel they know her well as an actor, model, singer and a style icon. But her latest role, as executive producer of Mera Lyari, is perhaps the most personal and purposeful of her career. As Dhurandhar places Lyari on the international stage through one lens, the makers of Mera Lyari are preparing a very different story: one told from within.
Long before cameras and credits, Lyari existed as something the world has rarely been invited to witness, a neighbourhood of colour, rhythm, sporting glory, and an unbreakable communal spirit that has shaped Pakistani culture in ways headlines never quite capture. That is the neighbourhood that Mera Lyari has set out to put on screen.
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Written and directed by Abu Aleeha, with production by Hawksbay Productions, Mera Lyari is finally set for its global premiere and will debut at the UK Asian Film Festival on May 2 at the British Film Institute (BFI) in London, before its release in Pakistan. The movie features Ayesha Omar, Dananeer Mobeen, and Trinette Lucas in pivotal roles.
The independent film arrives at a charged moment. With the international release of Dhurandhar bringing Lyari's turbulent years to a global audience, questions are being asked about who gets to tell which story. "Mera Lyari is an independent story rooted in the real experiences of Lyari," says Ayesha Omar who plays a coach in this film. "That said, when any place like Lyari is portrayed in a certain light internationally, it naturally creates a context, and any authentic story coming from within that community is seen as a response." She further adds, "When a narrative is exaggerated or one-dimensional, it can overshadow reality. That's where authentic storytelling becomes not just important, it becomes necessary."
What Dhurandhar presents through the prism of conflict and crime, Mera Lyari addresses through deliberate omission, by choosing to show everything that has been overlooked. The film does not deny that Lyari endured some of the most difficult chapters in Pakistan's recent history. It asks, instead, what happened to all the other stories from those same years.
"Even during the most difficult phases in Lyari's history, there were powerful human stories of hope, courage, and perseverance," she says. "The corners are filled with stories that deserve to be seen and heard. Our film focuses on that human side, the everyday lives, aspirations, and spirit of people who continue to rise despite challenges. This one is about two young women determined to pursue their football dreams."
Lyari has produced Olympic footballers, celebrated artists, musicians, poets, and boxers who have represented Pakistan on world stages. It is a community whose contribution to the country is immense and whose cultural identity runs far deeper than the gang war coverage that dominated news cycles for years. Mera Lyari treats that identity not as backdrop, but as the story itself.
"Lyari is not just conflict," Ayesha says plainly. "It is culture, resilience, talent, and a community that has contributed immensely to this country. Those stories rarely get to be told. The film captures the vibrant energy, colours and emotional depth of Lyari, something audiences, both locally and globally, haven't experienced on screen before,” Ayesha proudly shares.
Cinema, the filmmaker argues, carries a responsibility that goes beyond entertainment. A film that reaches global audiences does not merely depict a place, it defines it, at least in the minds of those with no other reference point. That is the weight Mera Lyari is willing to carry. "Cinema shapes perception," she says.
The makers are careful to separate their mission from any idea of rivalry. She firmly believes, "Mera Lyari doesn't aim to counter any film. It simply tells its own truth, from within the community, with honesty and responsibility."
What audiences can expect is a film that feels unlike anything Pakistani cinema has produced about this part of Karachi. The vibrancy of Lyari's streets, the warmth of its people, the humour and heartbreak that coexist in every alley, these are the textures Mera Lyari is built from. Not reconstructed. Lived.
"Ultimately, this is a story of hope, resilience, and identity and we believe audiences will connect with its authenticity more than anything else." Ayesha hopes.
In a landscape where Lyari is finally getting cinematic attention, Mera Lyari stands as the version that asks the harder question: not what happened to Lyari, but who has always lived there, and what they have always known about themselves.